WV Department of Education Office of Instructional Services

Office of Instructional ServicesSchool Level Professional Development Guide 2003-2004, First Edition WV Department of Education Division of Instructional and Student Services Office of I

Office of Instructional Services

School Level Professional Development Guide

2003-2004, First Edition

WV Department of Education Division of Instructional and Student Services

Office of Instructional Services

Sandra M Chapman, President

Barbara N Fish, Vice President

Sheila M Hamilton, Secretary

Delores W Cook, Member Priscilla M Haden, Member

Burma Hatfield, Member Lowell E Johnson, Member Paul J Morris Member Ronald B Spencer, Member

J Michael Mullen, Ex Officio

ChancellorWest Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission

David L Stewart, Ex Officio

State Superintendent of Schools

School Level Professional Development Guide

Developed by:

Office of Instructional Services

Deborah Brown, Executive Director Keith Butcher, Assistant Director

Document Authors

Karen Davies Beverly Kingery Richard Lawrence Jan Stanley Carla Williamson

Document Contributors

Murrel Hoover

Through sustained, continuous, and school-embedded professionaldevelopment models, local school districts will be provided professionaldevelopment support and technical assistance in the following areas:

GOAL 1: All county school systems will implement the components

of a standards-based curriculum model built on the WV Content Standards and Objectives The model includes, but is not limited

to, the following components:

 Mapping the curriculum

 Development of instructional units and standards-based lessons

 Identification of critical questions and enduring ideas

 Alignment of instructional strategies, materials and resources

 Use of performance descriptors, performance assessments, andrubrics in the evaluation of student mastery

 Establishment of benchmarks to determine student progress andreteaching

GOAL 2: All county school systems will improve student achievement in reading and writing by implementing a research- based approach to the teaching of the West Virginia Reading and Language Arts Content Standards and Objectives.

 All teachers will teach comprehension, vocabulary development, andwriting in their content areas

 Teachers with the primary responsibility of teaching reading andwriting will use research-based instructional strategies and consistentapproaches to literacy development

 Special educators will utilize research-based instructional designappropriate to the exceptionality of the students served

GOAL 3: All county school systems will improve student achievement in mathematics by implementing a research-based approach to the teaching the West Virginia Mathematics Content Standards and Objectives.

 School systems will give priority to addressing weaknesses in middlelevel student performance

GOAL 4: All county school systems will ensure all educators have the technological skills necessary to effectively perform their professional responsibilities and enhance student learning.

 Teachers will use appropriate technology applications for teaching theWest Virginia Content Standards and Objectives

 Teachers will implement the Technology Content Standards and

to improve the instructional program and the teaching learningprocess.

 All personnel, as appropriate, will use technology managementapplications to increase efficiency and effectiveness of district, school,and classroom operations

1 School Level Professional Development Guide

 Introduction Page 1

 National Staff Development Council (NSDC) Standards for Staff

Development 3

 Definition of High Quality Professional Development 4

 Definition of Scientifically Based Research 5

 Tips for Using the Guide 6

2 Comprehensive Data Driven Needs  Introduction 7

 Professional Development Planning Process Flow Chart 8

 Target Professional Development Through Questioning & Examining Data 9

 What is Your Professional Development IQ? 10

3 Long Range Planning for Professional Development  Introduction 19

 Before the Planning 20

 Suggestions for Professional Development Plans 21

 Guidelines For Effective Staff Development 22

 Defining An Effective Professional Development In Reading (PowerPoint® ) 27

 Action Plan For Professional Development 31

4 Formats and Models for Sustaining Professional Development  Introduction 37

 A Research Based Staff Development Model Ensuring Implementation38  Some Avenues For Professional Development 39

 Professional Development Models 40

 Steps to Building a Sustained Professional Development Plan 43

 Sample: Professional Development Sample Model: K-3 Elementary Reading 44

 Sample: Differentiated Instruction in the Middle Schools 47

 Sample: Planning for Change in High School Mathematics 49

5 Monitoring and Evaluation  Introduction 59

 Five Levels of Professional Development Evaluation 60

 Monitoring 61

 Evaluation 62

 Guiding Principles for Evaluating Staff Development 63

6 Leadership  Introduction 64

 Professional Development Roles: Principal, Teacher Leaders 65

7 Funding  Introduction 66

iii

SECTION 1 School Level Professional Development Guide

Introduction

Professional development is a form of adult learning Yet, districts toooften forget that professional development must be concernedprimarily with student learning Professional development in schoolshas traditionally consisted of activities such as attending conferences

or working on curriculum during teacher workshop days Dynamicspeakers and interesting workshops may have some value, but schoolsand counties must help educators translate their learning intoinstructional practices and student achievement Professionaldevelopment is not about what teachers want to know Consider, forexample, a teacher who might want to expand his/her knowledge ofcooperative learning techniques While the goal is valid, it becomesrelevant only when it is seen in a larger context, one that is focused

on student learning, driven by data, and nested within school leveland county level goals (Kelleher)

Professional development is the primary vehicle in efforts to bringabout needed change in student achievement Professionaldevelopment must include organizational development as well asindividual development (Sparks) It must be job embedded andprogrammatic, and must be not only for teachers, but for everyonewho affects student learning Perhaps most importantly, professionaldevelopers are looking at the research on professional development ineducation They are examining what is known about the variousforms of professional development, not only for teachers, but for allthose involved in the educational process (Guskey) Since the goal ofmost modern professional development efforts is improvedperformance by the organization, staff, and ultimately students,(Sparks), information on the measurement of student learning is anessential component of planning professional development

In defining student performance, it is imperative that educators are

introduced to the WHAT and HOW of instruction occurring in the

classroom In order to understand this, the professional developmentmust focus first on pedagogy and methodology For example, it wouldfirst be logical to present professional development on the stages ofstudent writing development and the five step writing process beforeprofessional development on interactive writing as a curriculum tool.Therefore, professional development planners must determine if the

WHAT has solidly been introduced before planning the HOW of

The National Staff Development Council (NSDC) has called for a shift

in the way we approach professional development Itsrecommendations include devoting 10% of the school budget and 25%

of teacher time to professional development Thomas Guskeysuggests that cost-benefit analyses can be helpful in comparing thecosts and relative effectiveness of various professional developmentendeavors (Guskey, 2000) Such analyses will permit counties andschools to make the best selection when considering differentprofessional development programs with similar goals

Staff development standards provide direction for designing aprofessional development experience that ensures educators willacquire the necessary knowledge and skills Professionaldevelopment must be data-driven, standards based, and jobembedded The National Staff Development Council revised thestandards for professional development in 2001 These revisedstandards reflect what NSDC has learned about professional learningsince the creation of the original standards in 1995

2

National Staff Development Council Standards for Staff

Development Context Standards Staff development that improves the learning of all students:

 Organizes adults into learning communities whose goals are

aligned with those of the school and district (Learning

 Uses disaggregated student data to determine adult learning

priorities, monitor progress, and help sustain continuous

 Uses learning strategies appropriate to the intended goal (Design)

 Applies knowledge about human learning and change (Learning)

 Provides educators with the knowledge and skills to collaborate (Collaboration)

Content Standards Staff development that improves the learning of all students:

 Prepares educators to understand and appreciate all students, create safe, orderly, and supportive learning environments, and hold high expectations for their academic achievement (Equity)

 Deepens educators’ content knowledge, provides them with

research-based instructional strategies to assist students in

meeting rigorous academic standards, and prepares them to use various types of classroom assessments appropriately (Quality Teaching)

 Provides educators with knowledge and skills to involve families and other stakeholders appropriately (Family Involvement)

“Professional development standards that make clear what high quality professional development is, how to implement it, and how it should be evaluated to help us design effective and powerful experiences that will

development plans that will stand the test of accountability.” - Agnes Crawford, Association for the Supervision of Curriculum Development (ASCD)

4

High Quality Professional Development

According to Title IX of No Child Left Behind (NCLB), professional

development includes activities that:

 Improve and increase teachers’ academic knowledge;

 Are an integral part of broad school wide and district wideeducational improvement plans;

 Give teachers, principals and administrators the knowledge andskills to provide students with the opportunity to meet challengingstate academic content standards and student academicachievement standards;

 Improve classroom management skills;

 Are high quality, sustained, intensive and classroom-focused inorder to have a positive and lasting impact on classroominstruction and the teacher’s performance in the classroom; andare not one-day or short-term workshops or conferences;

 Support the recruiting, hiring and training of highly qualifiedteachers, including teachers who became highly qualified throughstate and local alternative routes to certification;

 Advance teacher understanding of effective instructional strategiesthat

1 are based on scientifically-based research and strategies forimproving student academic achievement or substantiallyincreasing the knowledge and teaching skills of teachers; and

2 are aligned with and directly related to state academiccontent standards, student academic achievement standardsand assessments, and the curricula and programs tied to thestandards;

 Are developed with extensive participation of teachers, principals,parents and administrators of schools to be served under NCLB;

 Are designed to give teachers of limited English proficient children,and other teachers and instructional staff, the knowledge and skills

to provide instruction and appropriate language and academicsupport services to those children, including the appropriate use ofcurricula and assessments;

 To the extent appropriate, provide training for teachers andprincipals in how to use technology in the classroom to improveteaching;

 As a whole, are regularly evaluated for their impact on increasedteacher effectiveness and improved student academic achievement,with the finds used to improve the quality of professionaldevelopment;

 Provide instruction in methods of teaching special needs children;

 Include instruction in how school staff can work more effectivelywith parents.

Other activities that might be included are partnerships withinstitutions of higher education to establish school-based teachertraining programs; career ladder programs to help Title Iparaprofessionals become certified; and follow-up training to ensurethat teachers are able to implement what they have learned in theclassroom

6

Scientifically Based Research

As prescribed in NCLB the term “scientifically based research:”

1 Means research that involves the application of rigorous, systematic, and objective procedures to obtain reliable and valid knowledge relevant to education activities and programs; and

2 Includes research

that  Employs systematic, empirical methods that draw

on observation or experiment;

 Involves rigorous data analyses that are adequate

to test the stated hypotheses and justify the general conclusions drawn;

 Relies on measurements or observational methods that provide reliable and valid data across evaluators and observers, across multiple measurements and observations, and across studies by the same or different investigators;

 Is evaluated using experimental or experimental designs in which individuals, entities, programs, or activities are assigned to different conditions and with appropriate controls

quasi-to evaluate the effects of the condition of interest,with a preference for random-assignment

experiments, or other designs to the extent that those designs contain within-condition or across-condition controls;

 Ensures that experimental studies are presented

in sufficient detail and clarity to allow for replication or, at a minimum, offer the opportunity to build systematically on their findings; and

 Has been accepted by a peer-reviewed journal or approved by a panel of independent experts through a comparably rigorous, objective, and scientific review [Title IX, Part A, Section 9101(37)].

Tips for Using This Guide

Here are some tips to best ensure a successful professional

development planning process:

1 Develop a planning team: Begin by developing a planning team

that includes a representation of the school’s grade configurationsand specialists (such as special education and music teachers) Thisteam could be derived from already established teams within theschool such as the local school improvement council (LSIC), theschool curriculum team, or committees formed through faculty senate

2 Review this Planning Guide: The planning team should review

the School Level Professional Development Guide and discuss its use

in the process of planning professional development for theinstructional staff of the school The team should determine whichsections of the plan would require entire staff participation,committee participation, or individual participation

3 Summarize the planning guide for the entire staff: This

Professional Development Guide should be used as a scheduled

professional development session Within that session the planningteam should summarize the entire professional development guidewith the instructional staff and leadership of the school The processthat the team will use in developing the professional developmentplan should be a school collaborative effort

4 Strategically plan time to work through the planning process: Ensure that there is an appropriate amount of time for the

team and the staff to develop and review the school’s professionaldevelopment plan Some approaches to creating planning time assuggested by Watts and Castle (1993) are:

 Using one morning or afternoon a week for teacher

development and other improvement activities by using

substitutes or releasing students;

 Purchasing teacher time by contracting substitutes or giving compensation for weekends and summer work;

 Providing common planning time for teachers working on the same project;

 Restructuring time by altering teacher schedules, teacher

responsibilities or the school day;

 Making better use of available time and staff

8

An introduction is provided at the beginning of each section of the guide.

SECTION 2 Comprehensive Data Driven Needs Assessment

Introduction

The purpose of the needs assessment for professional development is

to determine the needs of the school’s teaching force in order toenable all students to meet challenging state content and academicachievement standards This needs assessment does not stand alone

It is the basis of comprehensive school planning and should guide thedevelopment of school goals and direct professional development tomeet these goals Gathering and analyzing school data from severalsources is the best way to identify trends and patterns in studentachievement and thus clarify school and student needs For thegreatest impact in school improvement, professional developmentmust be based on the identified needs

Four main categories of data should be included in the needs

assessment

1 Student achievement data – In analyzing student achievement,teachers need to determine specific deficiencies within contentareas For example, if reading comprehension scores are low,the staff must subset the data to determine the specificcomprehension skill in which the students are deficient.Teachers must also view three to five years of data to be able toclearly identify trends

2 Demographic data – The purpose of collecting demographic data

is to gain a thorough understanding of the school’s population.The goal is not to explain the demographics, but to examine howthese characteristics may affect opportunities for students tolearn

3 Program data – The goal of reviewing program data is toexamine what is being taught and to whom This should includecurriculum sequence, course enrollment information, pupilteacher ratios, teacher certifications for the areas they areassigned to teach, the usage of parent/community volunteers,graduation rates, post graduation follow-ups, etc

4 Perception data – A review of this type of data will reveal howteachers, students, and the community view the school and/ordistrict The stakeholder’s view of the school’s services affectsall levels of planning Perception data includes surveys onschool climate, student and teacher’s absenteeism andtardiness, parent/teacher/student satisfaction surveys, and a

review of media coverage among others The Professional

10

Development IQ survey provided in this section provides a good

introductory activity for using this guide

In conclusion, examining and analyzing school data is a powerful form

of professional development Results of disaggregated data shouldidentify students’ needs, as well as teachers’ learning needs

THE PLANNING PROCESS

Office of Education Performance Audits High Schools That Work

Development

Activities Person(s) Responsible Time Line Evaluation

Budget

Target Professional Development Through

Questioning & Examining Data

Questions to be answered in pre-planning:

 Has the school met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)?

 Has the school been identified for improvement?

 Which indicators were not met?

The following data sources may be utilized to determine school level professional development:

 Student demographics (e.g attendance, socio economic status,graduation / drop out rate)

 Student achievement (e.g retention, grade distribution)

 Instructional programs and curriculum

o Making Middle Grades Work Assessment

o High Schools That Work Assessment

 Percentage of teachers receiving quality professionaldevelopment

 School & classroom management procedures

 Discipline reports

 Technology access & usage

 Parent & community involvement

 Parent/teacher/student satisfaction surveys

 Classroom walk through results

 Other applicable school documents

14

What is Your Professional Development IQ?

1 According to the public, what is the most important characteristic for teachers to possess?

a Ability to communicate with parents

b Thoroughly educate students in subject area

c Understanding how people learn

d Well-trained and knowledgeable about how to teach effectively

2 Which strategy does the public believe has the greatest potential for improving schools?

a Reduce class size

b Recruit and retain better teachers

c Require standardized tests for promotion

d Give greater control to the local level

3 What percentage of the public supports school-financed professional development opportunities as a means of attracting and retaining public school teachers?

a Lowering class size

b Increasing teacher salaries

c Increasing teacher experience

d Increasing teacher education

5 According to the National Credibility Index, which of the following people is the most believable when speaking out on public issues?

a Member of the Armed Forces

c Family involvement and support

d Socio-economic status of family

7 What percentage of the public believes we should increase funding for programs to keep teachers up to date?

a 35%

b 50%

8 What percentage of teachers believe that professional development programs

“generally waste their time?”

a Reducing class size

b Increasing teacher salaries

c Increasing professional development opportunities for teachers

d Requiring secondary level teachers to major in the subjects they are teaching

10 According to the September 2000 Gallup Poll, what percentage of the public feelsthat the strategy with the most promise for improving achievement is ensuring thatthere is a qualified and competent teacher in every classroom?

a 10%

b 17%

c 39%

d 52%

11 Of the following, which aspect of teaching is most important to students?

a Caring about students

b Believing all children can learn

c Knowing the subject areas

d Maintaining discipline in the classroom

12.According to teachers, what is the number one reason for professional growth?

a To improve student achievement

b To improve teaching skills

c To network

d To advance one’s career

13 What percentage of teachers believe that weekly scheduled collaboration withother teachers improves their classroom teaching?

a 62%

b 72%

c 82%

d 92%

14.What do principals believe is the most important role of a principal?

a Maintaining discipline and safety

b Creating a supportive environment for teaching and learning

c Supporting parents’ involvement in their children’s education

d Managing the school’s budget and obtaining additional funds

16

15.Which strategy do principals believe is most effective for recruiting and retaining teachers?

a Providing financial incentives

b Providing mentoring and on-going support for new teachers

c Involving teachers in the creation of policies that they will be implementing

d Providing career growth opportunities

16.Which professional development activity do most teachers feel improves their teaching?

a New methods of teaching

b Integration of education technology in their grade or subject

c In-depth study in the subject area of their main teaching assignment

d Student performance assessment

17.Which of the following professional development activities did the most teachers participate in during the last twelve months?

a Regularly scheduled collaboration with other teachers

b Networking with teachers outside their school

c Individual or collaborative research

d Common planning period for team teachers

18.What percentage of public school teachers believe that being mentored formally by another teacher at least once a week improves their classroom teaching moderately or better?

a Major/minor in science/science education

b Professional development in laboratory skills

c Professional development in classroom management

d Using frequent tests

e Hands-on learning

NATIONAL STAFF DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

What is Your Professional Development IQ Answers

The correct answers are highlighted below in bold; links to related information are also

provided.

1 To the public, what is the most important characteristic for teachers to possess?

a Ability to communicate with parents

b Thoroughly educate students in subject area

c Understanding how people learn

d Well-trained and knowledgeable about how to teach effectively Source:

The Essential Profession: A National Survey of Public Attitudes Toward Teaching Educational Opportunity and School Reform, David Hasselkorn and Louis Harris, 1998 Recruiting New Teachers, Inc (RNT) 617-489-6000

See more information about and ordering information for this survey:

http://www.rnt.org/publications/essential.html

2 Which strategy does the public believe has the greatest potential for improving schools?

a Reduce class size

b Recruit and retain better teachers

c Require standardized tests for promotion

d Give greater control to the local level

31 st Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public

Schools as reported in Teacher Education Reports newsletter, Vol 21, No 16, August 23,

1999, Washington DC: Feistritzer Publications.

See information about this annual poll at http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/kpollpdf.htm

4 According to research, what school investment yields the greatest increase in student achievement?

a Lowering class size

b Increasing teacher salaries

c Increasing teacher experience

d Increasing teacher education

18

31 st Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public

Schools as reported in Teacher Education Reports newsletter, Vol 21, No 16, August 23,

1999, Washington DC: Feistritzer Publications.

See information about this annual poll at http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/kpollpdf.htm

5 According to the National Credibility Index, which of the following people is the most believable when speaking out on public issues?

a Member of the Armed Forces

c Family involvement and support

d Socio-economic status of family

Source:

“Paying for public education: New evidence of how and why money matters,” by Ronald

Ferguson, Harvard Journal on Legislation, Vol 28.

7 What percentage of the public believes we should increase funding for programs to keep teachers up to date?

Bennet, Petts & Blumenthal, conducted for the National Parent Teachers Association,

1998, N=800 parents of children in public schools.

8 What percentage of teachers believe that professional development programs “generally waste their time?”

a 10.5%

b 27.4%

c 41.7%

d 64.7%

U.S Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Schools and Staffing Survey: 1993-94, N=approximately 65,800 teachers who had participated in professional development programs on various topics.

See information about the Schools and Staffing Survey at http://nces.ed.gov/surveys/sass/

9 Which of the following strategies did superintendents and principals identify as the most effective forimproving teacher quality?

a Reducing class size

b Increasing teacher salaries

c Increasing professional development opportunities for teachers

d Requiring secondary level teachers to major in the subjects they are teaching

Source: Public Agenda, 2000

10 According to the September 2000 Gallup Poll, what percentage of the public feels that the strategy with themost promise for improving achievement is ensuring that there is a qualified and competent teacher in everyclassroom?

a 10%

b 17%

c 39%

d 52%

Source: 32nd Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll (Sept 2000).

See information about this annual poll at http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/kpollpdf.htm

11 Of the following, which aspect of teaching is most important to students?

a Caring about students

b Believing all children can learn

c Knowing the subject areas

d Maintaining discipline in the classroom

Source:

The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Key Elements of Quality Schools; A Survey

of Teachers, Students, and Principals Dana Markow, Sarah Fauth, and Diana Gravitch, 2001.

See information about the MetLife Survey at

http://www.metlife.com/Applications/Corporate/WPS/CDA/PageGenerator/ 0,1674,P2315,00.html

12 According to teachers, what is the number one reason for professional growth?

a To improve student achievement

b To improve teaching skills

c To network

d To advance one’s career

20

A National Survey of Teachers was conducted for NFIE by Washington-based Greenberg Research, Inc and the Feldman Groups with support from the NEA Research Department and NFIE.

See information about this survey in the NFIE report Teachers Take Charge of Their Learning:

14 What do principals believe is the most important role of a principal?

a Maintaining discipline and safety

b Creating a supportive environment for teaching and learning

c Supporting parents’ involvement in their children’s education

d Managing the school’s budget and obtaining additional funds

Source: The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Key Elements of Quality Schools;

A Survey of Teachers, Students, and Principals Dana Markow, Sarah Fauth, and Diana Gravitch, 2001.

See information about the MetLife Survey at

http://www.metlife.com/Applications/Corporate/WPS/CDA/PageGenerator/ 0,1674,P2315,00.html

15 Which strategy do principals believe is most effective for recruiting and retaining teachers?

a Providing financial incentives

b Providing mentoring and on-going support for new teachers

c Involving teachers in the creation of policies that they will be implementing

d Providing career growth opportunities

Source: The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Key Elements of Quality Schools;

A Survey of Teachers, Students, and Principals Dana Markow, Sarah Fauth, and Diana Gravitch, 2001.

See information about the MetLife Survey at

http://www.metlife.com/Applications/Corporate/WPS/CDA/PageGenerator/ 0,1674,P2315,00.html

16 Which professional development activity do most teachers feel improves their teaching?

a New methods of teaching

b Integration of education technology in their grade or subject

c In-depth study in the subject area of their main teaching assignment

d Student performance assessment

17.Which of the following professional development activities did the most teachers participate

in during the last twelve months?

a.Regularly scheduled collaboration with other teachers

b Networking with teachers outside their school

c Individual or collaborative research

d Common planning period for team teachers

18 What percentage of public school teachers believe that being mentored formally

by another teacher at least once a week improves their classroom teachingmoderately or better?

a Major/minor in science/science education

b Professional development in laboratory skills

c Professional development in classroom management

d Using frequent tests

e Hands-on learning

Source:

Educational Testing Service: How Teaching Matters, 2000.

Download this publication from the Milken Family Foundation:

SECTION 3 Long Range Planning for Professional Development

Introduction

Planning long-range professional development challenges educatorsbecause there must be a balance created between systemicapproaches and permitting flexibility to meet individual professionalneeds The main purpose of long range planning for professionaldevelopment is to align staff learning to student achievement goalsand objectives It is essential that the professional development plan

be monitored and adjusted until a critical mass of the staff learns andimplements the new practices to effectively impact studentachievement According to research, developing a critical mass is thekey The majority of teachers in a school, 50% to 75%, mustunderstand, believe in, and execute the desired approaches in order

to effectively impact student achievement One must recognize thatachieving critical mass may take several years of focused efforts

Robby Champion, President of Champion Training and Consulting,recommends planning professional development in a three to fouryear period This permits professional development to bedifferentiated and delivered in four levels:

1 Level 1 – Awareness Participants become aware of why change is needed

and the direction the organization will be taking.

2 Level 2 – Developmental Participants understand the content sufficiently

to practice and partially use the new knowledge and skills in their job assignments.

3 Level 3 – Transfer Participants fully implement the knowledge and skills in

their job assignments on a regular basis.

4 Level 4 – Institutionalization Participants are maintaining and updating

their skills by teaching others and implementing strategies to sustain change.

The chart on page 43 offers suggested professional development foreach level Differentiating opportunities for staff to learn and buildskills is a must

Once a draft of the professional development plan is completed, theplanning team must review the plan based on this essential question:Will this plan permit us to achieve our desired results? The draftshould be evaluated based on the following items:

 National Staff Development Council Standards

 State initiatives

 Content standards and objectives

 Research based practices

 Student learning goals

 Staff needs and preferences

 District calendar

 School calendar and master schedule

24

Finally, remember that monitoring is the key to successfulimplementation of any plan Therefore, it is recommended that thecomprehensive professional development plan be reviewed quarterly.

To ensure that the review occurs, it should be scheduled within thecomprehensive plan

Before the Planning

26

planning committee

? The biggest incentive

opportunit

influence programs that help students.

Stipends, release time, recognitio

n, site visits to model programs, meals, media coverage, and occasional prizes can help.

4

Measureme

nt criteria:

How will we measure success?

Before setting training objectives, learn the expectatio

the superinten dent and school board members.

5

Facilitation:

Who will lead the process?

Will you use an external facilitator?

Does someone

district have the necessary skill and knowledge

? Using

an outside facilitator need not be

expensive.

Lead teachers

or trainers from other nearby districts may be able to serve.

6 Budget:

Do you have funds to support the plan?

There are really two questions here Do you have funds to

planning process – facilitator, retreat, substitutes, long- distance phone calls? Do you have funds to implement the

completed plan? If funds will have to be redirected, clarify that early in the process.

7 Retreat:

Do you have funds for a retreat setting?

What other low-cost options exist for providing a suitable, non-school location for professiona

l learning?

8 Approval:

Who can veto the plan?

It is critical that those who

participate

in planning know who holds the final power for

of learning goals and enable all the

stakeholde

rs to ask questions and express concerns.

11

Knowledge:

Do planning team

members have the necessary knowledge

to develop a quality plan?

They must have a working knowledge

of the key concepts

of change and staff developme nt.

28

Suggestions for Professional Development Plans

 Keep teachers reading current research with professional

journals, books, and conference materials

 Focus on one or two topics for professional development per

year

o Provide follow up sessions

o Connect all sessions to these topics

 Start with the area of greatest need as derived from the

needs assessment data

 Provide a variety of activities for teachers

 Decide the number of professional development hours

necessary for effective goal attainment Individually record

the professional development hours Space the hours over

the course of the school year

 Consider hours of training based on time of day or time of

year

o Conduct no more than one-hour sessions after school

o Plan no more than one week during summer

 Deliver all scheduled school trainings to all staff

 Offer all staff equal opportunity to participate in professional

development activities

 Plan for ample classroom – based practice with feedback and

reflection

 Scaffold instruction for teachers

Developed by WV Reading Cadre (2003)

Guidelines for Effective Staff Development

(Guidelines adapted from Hawley & Valli, 1999)*

Janice A DoleUniversity of Utah

The following is part of a chapter I wrote for effective staff

development in reading comprehension instruction The guidelines

below, however, relate to any staff development, not just in reading

Guideline 1: Focus on Students and Student

Performance A student-centered focus, rather than

teacher-centered focus, is critical to effective professional development In

other words, the focus of staff development should be on improving

student learning through an understanding of what students need to

know and be able to do (Darling-Hammond & McLaughlin, 1999,

Sykes, 1999)

Researchers point out that often times students are not the

focus of the learning Sometimes, teachers are presented with new

teaching strategies and techniques that are learned for their own

sake For example, the focus of a workshop might be on “shared

reading” and how to conduct it, without any information about how

this teaching strategy assists students in learning how to comprehend

text Another workshop might focus on “Comprehension Strategy

Activities” where teachers are provided with page after page of

handouts of activities to complete with their students However,

teachers never learn how the strategies relate to the comprehension

process or to student comprehension of text

Effective professional development needs to focus squarely on

learners Teachers can analyze standards and curriculum

frameworks, research-based knowledge about student learning, or

other frameworks for understanding learning One such framework

for reading comprehension would be that outlined by the National

Reading Panel (NRP, 2000) where teachers can learn about the

important relationships between fluency, vocabulary, and

comprehension

Guideline 2: Teachers Need to be Involved Teachers’

active involvement in the learning process has been shown time and

again to be critical to effective professional development

Engagement by teachers increases their motivation and commitment

to learn (Hodges, 1996) Hawley and Valli (1999) point to the crucial

leadership of the principal in leading teachers to be involved in ways

that help them develop a need and desire to learn They note the

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importance of developing a learning community within the school

building Such a community appears to be necessary for successful

school reform

*Hawley, W D., & Valli, L (1999) The Essentials of Effective

Professional Development In L Darling-Hammond & G Sykes (Eds.),

Teaching as a learning profession (pp 127-150) San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass

This is not to say that teachers should determine everything

Borko and Putnam (1995) noted that teachers often do not see

themselves as needing more content knowledge or knowledge about

instructional practices For example, many elementary teachers

might not identify their need for specific help in teaching reading

comprehension They may think that they teach comprehension just

fine But the point is that teachers need to feel involved in their

learning at some level Study groups, joint planning, grade team

analyses of informal assessments, and peer coaching are a few ways

to directly involve teachers in their own learning

Guideline 3: Professional Development Needs to be

School-Based Several researchers have noted the importance of

making professional development job-embedded and integral to the

school community This does not mean that teachers cannot go

outside the school building to be involved in professional

development It does mean that learning about teaching must come

out of and feed back into teachers’ daily lives in their classrooms

(Smylie, 1995) Further, it means that teachers need to see learning

about teaching as a part of their daily work rather than something

done outside of the school day and their daily work (Little, 1992;

Smylie, 1995) This can be accomplished through coaching and

mentoring models of professional development where master teachers

work with and collaborate with other teachers It can also involve

teachers observing each other in classrooms

Guideline 4: Teachers Need to Solve Problems

Collaboratively One common observation made about traditional

schools and classrooms is that teachers are isolated and view teaching

as an individual and often lonely activity Research has shown that

teaming, study groups, and other forms of collaboration among

teachers reduce the isolation that teachers feel and foster community

and professional respect (Guskey, 1995; Little, 1992)

Guideline 5: Professional Development Needs to be

practice Teachers need ongoing support and assistance, including

specific and timely follow up in their classrooms and schools Hodges

(1996) noted that, “significant change in educational practice does not

occur quickly, but is the result of a staff development program

designed with a 3-5 year time frame” (p 239-240) Joyce and Showers

(1995) describe a program where teachers acquire theoretical

knowledge, conduct micro-teaching with their peers, and practice

teaching small groups of students in their classrooms These

researchers argued that teachers require many repetitions of a

teaching strategy before they can effectively incorporate it into their

teaching repertoire This will not happen if there is not specific

follow-up in their classrooms

Guideline 6: Teachers Need Theoretical Understanding.

Without a theoretical understanding about learning and instruction,

teachers are unlikely to retain or use what they learn in professional

development (Little, 1993; Joyce & Showers, 1995) Teachers often

cite a lack of understanding as one reason why they do not put theory

into practice The problem arises at two levels Teachers may not

understand the theory Or, alternatively or perhaps additionally, they

may not understand how the theory is applied to practice Either way,

if teachers only learn instructional strategies apart from theoretical

underpinnings, they will not retain them nor use them effectively or

reliably

Guideline 7: Professional Development Must Be Part of a

Comprehensive Change Process Effective professional

development that leads to change in teachers’ instructional practice is

a difficult process Unless the staff development is embedded in a

clear system of reform that supports change and eliminates barriers

to success, they are unlikely to be effective (Guskey, 1995)

District-level support is essential along a number of dimensions - central office

support and follow-through, avoidance of band-aids to fix problems,

adequate time to learn, plan and implement new practices, and

sufficient resources (Hawley & Valli, 1999) Because change is so

difficult, it is unlikely to be effective if sufficient support is not in

place

Guideline 8: Avoid fads Spending school, district and state

monies on new fads and gimmicks with no demonstrated research

value is a waste of everyone’s money and time Stick to individual

presenters who are well known and respected, methods and materials

that are known and proven, and topics that relate directly to student

learning of subject matter related to the standards and curriculum

frameworks in your state Avoid such topics as “learning styles,” (no

research support), stress management (nice, but unrelated to student

learning), brain research (insufficient research support for education),

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